County appoints new health director

Thursday

Nov 22, 2012 at 10:30 AM

The Davidson County Board of Health announced this week the appointment of a new health director for the health department.

BY NASH DUNNThe Dispatch

The Davidson County Board of Health announced this week the appointment of a new health director for the health department.Monecia Thomas, who most recently served as the health director for Yadkin County, will take her new post as Davidson County health director Dec. 3.Thomas, who has also worked for the North Carolina Institute for Public Health as well as the N.C. Local Health Department Accreditation Program, said she is excited to start her new job."I look forward to serving as the Davidson County health director, and I am pleased to have an opportunity to work with the great health department staff, to meet the challenges and opportunities to provide high-quality health services to the Davidson County community," Thomas said in a press release.Thomas was one of more than 50 applicants for the health director position. Despite the dense field, she shined with her qualifications and experience, said Dr. Mark Hamrick, chairman of the Davidson County Board of Health."She is intimately educated and capable of understanding all the ins and outs of the health department," Hamrick said. Thomas has worked as a senior state accreditation coordinator for the state's local health department accreditation program as well as a director of management activity with the state institute of public health.The native of Concord lives in Yadkin County and plans to relocate to the area in the near future."We feel like she is such an outstanding candidate," said Jim Tysinger, Davidson County's human resources director. "She has a wealth of knowledge of all the areas in the health department."Thomas replaces Layton Long, who served as the health director from October 2004 to May 25 of this year. Long accepted a position as the state environmental health director with the N.C. Division of Public Health.Davidson County Environmental Health Supervisor Darren Cecil served as the interim health director during the interview process. Cecil will return to his former position.The Davidson County Board of Health is set to officially approve Thomas' installation at its next regularly scheduled meeting Dec. 5.Nash Dunn can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 227, or at nash.dunn@the-dispatch.com.